Improvement in potato-diggers



dritti tdra sind (tithe JOHN W. OORWIN, .OF LEBANON, OHIO.

Letters Patent No. 109,389, dated November 22, 1870:

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-DIGGERS.

4"..lhe Schedule referred to in these Lettera Patent and making part of the same.

.chine may be raised or lowered; the colters which run at the sides, and the share, which runs beneath the row of potato-hills, being rigidly secured tosaid bars.

In-the drawing- A A are the frame-work ofthe mach-ine.

B is the axle; and

C O, ltheewheels on whioh'the fmrne-work is supported.

ct is an axle in front of the iranie-work A.

b b are the wheels in which the axle ais supported.

c is a bolster, to and beneath which the axle a is loosely jointed by a king-bolt.

Y The axle is at liberty to swing freely, but the. bolster is rigidly attached to the frame-work A by iron bars (l d., which pass in contact between standards c e, that are stepped in the bolster, which bars diverge fronreach other at a point immediately in reanof the standards, and pass, one to one side of the frame-work A, and the other to the other side, and are secured to said frame-work by screws.

A lever, f, is pivotedbetween the standards c, and its shorter arm connected with the bars d at a point in front ofthe standards by a link, h.

By depressing the lever f, the front part oftheframework A can be raised through the medium of the bars d.

The front side of the frame-work A is inclined.

To its lower front corner is attached the shared that runs under and unearths the potatoes.

The depth to which the share runs is regulated by the lever f. e

The share is constructed with fingers It, projecting in the same plane from its upper rear edge.

The fingers k serve to conduct thefpotat-oes to the carrier above.

Arms l, attached to the bars al, and projecting downward therefrom, bear, at their lower ends revolving colters Jm., which are placed just outside and in front of the share, and have for their oiice to cut through weeds, potato-tops, and the like, so as to prevent them from enoumbering the machine.

lThe carrier is composed of transverse rods a fast-l ened at their ends in plates o and 1', whichare con nected in sufticient numbers to form endless chains,

pieces D D.

The plates o are triangular in shape, so that one of the three rods n, whose ends are secured in each plate, is always lifted above the other two, when running upward in the carrier, these elevated rods forming ribs across the carrier, by which the latter is enabled to take hold of the mass of vines, earth&c., presented to it by the share i, and bear the salue onward.

There are two of the plates r between eachpar of triangular plates o, the rods n. serving as the pivots which connect the plates.

The carrier passes over a shaft, t, mounted cross-y wise of the frame-work at the upper ends of the inclined pieces D and bearing uted rollers, which draw against the bars n.

A plain shaft, a, sustains the end.

rlhe upper shaft t receives rotation from a pinion, e, of its own Vengaging with the annnlaraoothed rini ofthe master-wheel O.

The earth and vines fall through the spaces between the rods n as they ascend, but the potatoes remain in the carrier until they arrive at the upper end, when they are dumped into a receptacle formed hy the vertical partition w, placed crosswise between the sides ofthe frame-work A, in connection with the radial wings a: that project from a shaft, z, parallel wit-h said partition.

A weighted pin, 1, passes horizontally through the partitionw, being supported upon a pivot on the opposite side of the partition from the blades, and serving asa stop to each one of the latter in turn, keepit horizontal, so that it, with the vertical wing next in rear, and the partition forms a box, into which the potatoes fall from the carrier, until the weight in the box overbalances the weight on the end of the pinv y, when the blades whirl around and let the load of potatoes fall upon the ground in a heap.

The pin y returns to its horizontal position intime to stop thc next wing, and thus provide a fresh receptacle for the potatoes.

By placing an ascertained weight on the piu y, the potatoes may beweighed in this manner at the same time that they are measured.

A second carrier might be adjusted to the rear end of the machine, to receive the potatoes from the rst carrier, and conduct them to one side, to a wagon or other receptacle.

I claim as my invention- The arrangement ofthe bars cl, holster c, standards e, lever f,-arms l, revolving colter m, and share i, as

speciiied.

JOHN W. OOR-WIN.

Witnesses W H. Itoennrnn, Lor WRIGHT.

carrier at its lower@4 

